Clutch control mechanism



I NOV. 22, H W PRICE ET AL CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Oct. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AT RNEY NOV. 22, H W PRICE ET A CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1935 INVENTOR. ///9/POL0 m PP/CZ' g g/P4 x PAICE \yarca m ATT RNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1938 CLUTCH CONTROL DIECHANISM Hamid w. Price and Earl R. Price, South Bend,

Ind., assignors to Bendix Product's Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Indiana ' Application October 14, 1935, Serial No. 44,850

2 Claims. (01. ice-.01)

This invention relates in general to clutches, and more particularly to power means for operating the clutch of an automotive vehicle.

One object of the invention is to provide a 5 valvular control for a power clutch mechanism whereby the cl;.tch is engagedrelatively rapidly and uniformly up to the point of clutch plate contact, the remainder of the engagement being in successive relatively small increments of movel ment to thereby effect a slipping clutch and a smooth engagement.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accelerator controlled automatic clutch mechanism wherein release and depression of the ac- 15 celerator initiate respectively clutch disengaging and engaging operations of the mechanism, the degree of depression of the accelerator determining the rate of engagement of the clutch.

Yet another object of the invention is to pro- 20 vide a compact valvular unit for the aforementioned automatic clutch mechanism, said unit comprising four ported and slotted parts, two of which are manually operated.

Further objects of the invention and desirable details of construction and combinations of parts will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, which description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

30 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a power clutch mechanism of the two-stage type employing a novel four-part valvular unit constituting a feature of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the clutch motor 35 of the mechanism of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve unit of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3;

40 Figure 5 is a view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3, disclosing the cut-off slide of the aforementioned valve unit;

Figure 6 is a view taken on line 6--6 of. Figure 3, showing the accelerator operated control slide 5 of the aforementioned valve unit;

Figure '7 is a bottom plan view of the aforementioned valve unit; and Figure 8 is a sectional view of the valve unit taken on the line 8--8 of Figure 3.

50 In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figure 1, a clutch pedal 02 is adapted to be actuated by power means to simulate a conventional manual operation of the clutch. The power means disclosed comprises a pressure differential 55 operated motor 94 including a cylinder 96 and a piston 98, Figure 2, the latter being operatively connected to the clutch pedal 92 by a flexible connection I00. The clutch disengaging and engaging operations of motor 94 are effected by controlling the gaseous pressure within compart- B ments I02 and I04 thereof. To this end a conduit I06 interconnects the motor with an intake mani fold'I08 of the internal-combustion engine H0 01 the vehicle, said manifold serving as a source of vacuum to evacuate the compartment I02 and 10 thus energize "the motor to disengage the clutch.

The flow of air from and to the compartments I02 and I04 of the motor is controlled by a valvular unit II2, constituting the essence of the invention of the mechanism of Figure 1. II

The valve unit I I2 is disclosed in detail in Figures 3 to 8, inclusive, and comprises four parts H4, H6, H8, and I disclosed in detail in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7 respectively.

The remainder of the details of the aforemen- 2O tioned clutch control mechanism may best be described by explaining the operation of the mechanism. I

Upon release of an accelerator I22, having a lost motion connection with a throttle I24 by a link 26 I26 and to the valve member II8 by a link I28, the motor 94 is connected to the manifold to thereby disengage the clutch. In this operation air is drawn from the motor through the conduit I06, the air passing through ports I30, I32, I34, 30

'and I36 of the valve elements H4, H6, H8, and

I20 respectively. When the accelerator is depressed to speed up the engine, the clutch is automatically engaged, the member H8, which may be called a control slide, being moved to the left, Figure 3. Air is then admitted to the compartment I02 of the motor via port I30 of member II4, slot I40 of member II 6, slot I42 of member H8, and port I36 of member I20. The ingress of air to the motor serves to initiate an engagement 40 of the clutch, the clutch springs pulling the piston 98 to the right, Figure 2, and at the same time forcing air out'of the compartment I04 at a relatively rapid rate via a bore I44 of an end plate I46. 43

When the clutch plates are about to contact, a tapered portion I48 of a connecting rod I50 functions to cut off the escape of air from the compartment I04 and automatically end the rapid first stage of engagement. The remainder of the en- 50 gagement of the clutch is effected by controlling the air forced from the compartment I04 via a bleed conduit I52, the air passing to the valve unit H2 and vented to the atmosphere via a port I54 of member I20, a tapered slot I56 in control slide a III, slot ill in cut-on valve memherlli, and

- port iilinvalvemember Ill. 'Iherateofegress port Ill, thereby rendering the clutch control mechanism inoperative and necessitating the operation oi the clutch pedal by the toot.

There is thus provided a clutch control mechanism wherein the clutch is automatically disengaged and engaged upon releasing and depressing the accelerator respectively, the engagement being in two stages of movement, the first relatively rapid and the second relatively slow, the speed oi the second or slow stage being in proportion to the degree of depression of the accelerator.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described, it is not our intention to limit the scope oi the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a clutch controlling mechanism for an automotive vehicle, a pressure diilerential operated motor and valve mechanism for controlling said motor, said valve mechanism including four separate ported valve members, two of said members being manually operable slide valves, one 01 said latter members, flat and rectangular in shape and provided with a relatively long vent slot and two vacuum controlling slots, serving as a three-way valve member and the other of said members, of similar outline and provided with a relatively long vent slot and but one vacuum controlling slot, serving as a cut-oi! valve member.

2. In a clutch control mechanism for an automotive vehicle, a pressure diii'erential operated motor, a control valve unit for said motor comprising a two-part casing member and two manually operable relatively movable valve members within said casing member, the parts of said unit being so constructed and arranged as to render, at the election of the driver, the clutch control mechanism inoperative or operative to eflect both a disengagement of the clutch and an engaw ment thereoi, one of said-valve members being provided with three slots, one of said slots being operative only when the other valve member is operated to render the clutch control mechanism inoperative.

HAROLD W. PRICE. EARL R. PRICE. 

